Funnymen lineup for "The Comedians' tour

October 31, 2004|The Morning Call

Shelley Berman, a Grammy recipient, first honed his stand-up skills with Chicago's Compass Players, a group that today is known as the famed improvisational troupe, Second City. In show business since 1957, Berman has appeared on Broadway in plays such as "A Family Affair," "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" and "Kuni Leml." He's a television and film actor with recent credits that include HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and the comedy, "Meet the Fockers," with Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller, scheduled for release Dec. 22. Also an author, Berman has written three books and two plays. He teaches literary and dramatic humor writing at USC's Master of Professional Writing Program.

Professor Irwin Corey is a product of nightclubs, bistros and radio, where he has been practicing his special brand of surrealistic comedy under the soubriquet "The World's Foremost Authority." "The Professor" gained prominence in television on the talk shows of Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson and Ed Sullivan. In radio, he was Charlie McCarthy's tutor, and some people believe he was hiding in Fibber MaGee's closet. He recently celebrated his 90th birthday on the stage of the play "Sly Fox," where he starred with Richard Dreyfuss, Eric Stoltz and Bob Dishy in Broadway's longest running comedy of the 2004 season.

Bill Dana began his career in 1959 and has filled several roles in the comedy sector, including serving as head writer. He has extensive television experience, including 17 appearances with Ed Sullivan. He has also been instrumental in the careers of comedians including Don Adams, Don Knotts and Jim Nabors. Dana is also an avid ecologist, as well as an activist for the Latino cause, and as such was honored by the National Hispanic Media Coalition with its first Impact Award.

Dick Gregory realized his comedic talents while in the U.S. Army, where he took an active part in hosting and performing routines in military shows. In 1958 he began his professional career as master of ceremonies in several shows throughout Chicago. A passionate civil rights activist, Gregory took part in marches and parades to protest segregation and became increasingly involved in the political system, running for mayor of Chicago in 1966 and for president in 1968 as a write-in candidate. Gregory authored a number of books addressing political conspiracies following the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. He is still active in human rights causes. He also works as a nutritional consultant.

Mort Sahl was the first humorist to grace the cover of Time magazine and was the first comedian to make a comedy album. Sahl has hosted the Academy Awards, has appeared on Broadway and was the first to tour college campuses. He has written 18 screenplays and has also written speeches for former presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. Most recently, Sahl worked on the campaigns of Bill Bradley and George W. Bush.

Dick Cavett has received three Emmy Awards for his work as host of a number of acclaimed talk shows since 1968. He began his career writing for "The Tonight Show" and began performing on the stand-up circuit in 1964. In 1968 his "The Dick Cavett Show" took off and ran opposite "The Tonight Show" for seven years. Cavett has also made appearances on television programs such as "Cheers" and "The Simpsons." He also has worked in films such as "Beetlejuice" and "Forrest Gump." More recently, he appeared in Broadway's "The Rocky Horror Show" as narrator.